Ironing-machine



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

L. H. WATSON.

IRONING MACHINE.

No. 353,769. Patented Dec. 7,1886.

N. PETERS. Fhulo-L'Itlmgmphcr. Wnshinglon, D. c.

(No Model.) 7 3 Sheetsv-Sheet 3.

L. H. WATSON.

IRONING MACHINE. No. 353,769. Patented Dec. 7, 1886.

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LEIVIS H. WATSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

lRONlNG-MACHINE.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,769, dated December 7, 1886.

Application tiled May 31, 1883. Serial No. 96,597.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, Lnwis H. WATsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ironing and Polishing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for ironing and polishing shirts, cuffs, collars, and other articles.

The objects are to automatically stop both the iron and table when the table has completed its backward stroke; to provide for successful support of the table by a novel construction and arrangement of anti-friction de vices and support for the same, which devices shall be selfadj usting in relation to the table whatever its position may be; also,to provide certain improved details of construction, hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken through the center of the machine. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the top of the ironing-table. Fig. 4 is a perspective "iew of the middle portion of the ironing-table for supporting the top. Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the table-top, taken on the line 410 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the baseframe of the ironing-table. Fig. 7 is a like view of the track-frame upon which the said base-frame is supported. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section taken through the tablebase at one side and through one of the tracks. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view showing the device for effecting the reverse movements of the machine. Fig. 10 is a detail View showing the belt-shifter and the fast and loose pulleys. Fig. 11 is a longitudinal vertical section through the belt-shifter and the fast and loose pulleys. Fig. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the belt-shifter, said view comprising a sleeve with a cap detached therefrom. Fig. 13 shows two arms belonging to the belt-shifter. Fig. 14 is a vertical section taken on the line a; :v, and showing means for supporting one end of the track-frame so as to allow it to rock.

This machine is constructed with a light and strong frame, A, adapted for supporting the (No model.)

operative parts of the mechanism, and of a suitable height for bringing the ironingtable within convenient reach of the operator, said frame consisting substantially of vertical sides rigidly connected together by tie-rods, and provided with legs having feet that are adapted to admit of the frame being bolted or otherwise detachably secured upon the floor. The intermittingly and reversibly rotating ironing and polishing roller B is journaled at the upper portion of the fra1ne,and is made hollow, so that it can be heated in some suitable way for ironing and polishing p u rposesas, for example, it can be heated by means of the flame from a gas-burner, introduced through one of the hollow journals of the roller, or by means of hot slugs, that can be inserted in the roller as occasion may require. The reciprocating ironing-table C is arranged below the ironing and polishing roller,and is supported in proper juxtaposition to the same.

The ironing table herein shown is constructed of three main parts--namely, a top, C a support, C, for said top, and a baseframe, D. The top plate, C is secured upon said support by means of bolts or screws or other convenient devices, and a sheet of rubher will usually be laid upon the table top and a cloth stretched over the same, so as to form a suitable surface for the articles to be ironed and polished. In order to secure the cloth in a stretched condition upon said table, I provide thelatter, around its top edges, with a line of downwardly-bent hooks, C upon which the edges of the cloth can be caught and held. These hooks are conveniently secured to the table by forming the latter with recesses C in the under side of its top and perforating the outer Walls of said recesses, whereby short pieces of wire can be readily driven through the perforated edges and then bent down to form the hooks.

The middle portion or support, 0, for the top of the table consists of a long narrow metal plate having its top edge somewhat widened, so as to form a seat for the top, and having one of its ends recessed or made substantially V-shaped, as at 0 so that space shall be left under the top for one side of a top of the table from one end thereof.

travel in the grooved ways. supported is caused to move back and forth,

formed longitudinally in the top sides of the tracks and in the under sides of the side bars of the saidbase portion ofthe table, (best shown in Fig. 8,) in which said figure it will be seen that the base of the table rests upon the rollers, and is supported by the same, while the rollers which run upon the tracks are guided in their As the table thus so as to pass underthe ironing and polishing roller, the anti-friction rollers are caused to travel along the grooved tracks with the table, but at a less rate of speed than the latter, so that after the table has traversed a sufficient distance to carry it to the full required extent and has arrived at the limit of its throw or travel in one direction it will project at one end of the machine beyond the track and still be supported by the rollers, which will have stopped at points along the tracks, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 8, in which the table is illustrated as projecting beyond the track and the anti friction rollers, substantially in the relative positions in which they will rest at such juncture.

To guard against the anti-friction rollers running accidentally oft eith er end of the tracks,or running over orintoa slot, Etformed at or about the middle of each track to provide a passageway for a driving-shaft, hereinafter referred to, I provide suitable stops, G, at or near such points, said stops preferably consisting of short bolts or pins arranged across the grooves in-' the table-base and tracks and secured in the side of the same. It will be found that no matter at what points the rollers may be placed in the grooved way they will, after a reciprocating movement of the carriage, adjust themselves to their proper position. Similar stops, pins, or bolts, G, are also arranged in the grooved base of the table, which, in connection with the stops in the groove of the track, operate to maintain the rollers in such ,a position between the track and table as to prevent their dragging, and hence reduce friction after the table is once reciprocated. This will be understood by supposing the rollers to be first placed in the guideway in such a position that when the table is pushed forward the rollers will have traversed only a portion of the distance between the stops in the tracker that the same result has'been caused by the'rollers sticking. In either case the stop'pins on the table will engage such roller before the table has reached the end of its stroke, whereby the stop-pin will force the roller forward with the table tosuch a position that when the table makes its return strokes the roller will be in positionto traverse freely the full length or so much of the track as is assigned to it. By

spectively secured and arranged to run loose this arrangement of stops in the track and stop-pins in the table the rollers, notwithstanding any slipping or tendency to wedge they may have, are forced at every stroke of the table to the limits prescribed by the trackstops, and hence are maintained in a'position to most successfully support the table.

In orderto maintain the top surface of the ironing-table in a plane coincident with the face of the ironing and polishing roller, and i to maintain an equal pressure at each end of said roller, I support'the track-frame in such a manner that it shall be capable of 'a slight side rocking movement. This is readily at: tained by resting one end of a bolt, EflFig.

14, at one end of the track-frame upon one of t the tie-rodsA of the main frame and passing a bolt, E through a hole in said end portion of the main frame A of the machine and securing it to the track-frame, whereby the whereby the screw can be turned so as to raise and lower the track-frame, and thereby correspondingly raiseand lower the ironing-table so as to adjust it with relation to the ironing and polishing roller, and thereby vary the pressureupon the articles that are being ironed or polished, and also allow for different thicknesses of goods.

Theironing-table is provided at-its base with a rack, H, that is engaged by a pinion, H, having an intermittent rotation in reverse directions, so as to reciprocate the ironingtable.

The ironing and polishing roller is intermitttingly rotated in reverse directions by a gear, I, engaging a pinion, B, upbn one of the journals of the roller. on shaft H carrying the pinion engaging the rack-bar on the ironing-table, and is driven by a pinion, B on the drivingshaft K, carrying fast and loose belt-wheels. The mechanism for intermittingly rotating said shaft in reverse directions, so as to revolve the ironing and polishing roller and reciprocate the iron- The gear I is mounted ing-table at the proper moments, and to stop I the machine at each return movement of the ironing-table, so as to allow the operator time for putting on, replacing, or adjusting articles and carries a fast band-wheel, K,fixed upon,

the shaft between a pair of loose belt-wheels,

The fast and loose belt-wheels are reway-as, for example, the sleeve or hub pro- ,vided with radial arms, engagingthe interior of the fast pulley, is secured upon the shaft,

while a like hub, K for either loose wheels, will run loose upon the said shaft. In the present illustration the outer loose wheel has, however, a hub running loose upon the shaft, and held thereon by a nut or collar fitted on the end of the shaft. The reverse movements of the shaft and its fixed belt-wheel are attained by means of the open and supposed-to be crossed belts K K that are automatically shifted at the proper moments, so as to suecessively bring said belts upon the fixed wheel, in order to cause a reciprocatory movement of the ironing-table and corresponding revolutions of the ironing-roller, and also to throw the belts upon the loose wheels at the proper moments, so as to bring the machine to a standstill.

The belt-shifter L.is actuated at the proper moments from a rock-shalt M, arranged at one side of the machine, and carrying an arm, M, fixed upon the rock shaft, and connected with the belt-shifter by means of a connecting-rod, M (See especially Figs. 9 and 10.)

The belt-shifter comprises a half cylindrical shell or sleeve, L, which is arranged to slide upon the driving shaft, and to which the rod M is connected. This shell or sleeve is formed with proper hubs or caps at its ends, and serves as a vehicle for carrying a pair of arms, L, to which the fingers for moving the belts are secured. A cap, L flanged at one end and screw-threaded at the remaining end,is screwed into one end of the shell or sleeve, and provides a bearing for the rings L, that are formed upon the inner ends'of the arms L and tightly fitted upon such cap, from which they are prevented from slipping off by reason of the flanged end of the latter. These arms may be adjusted axially in relation to the drivingshaft, so as to engage belts running from any direction, and are held in the position de sired by clamping the rings L* between the end of the sleeve and the cap. The fingers L are made of unequal lengths, and secured to said arms in position to extend over the pulleys, and each finger is provided at its outer end with a suitable eye or loop, through which one of the belts passes, so that by sliding the sleeve alongthe shaft the belts will be simultaneously shifted. The relative lengths of the fingers of the belt-shifter will be such that in one position the belts will be upon the loose wheels, while by shifting the sleeves in reverse directions the belts can be successively shifted upon and off from the fast wheel.

The hub K of the loose wheel K is somewhat extended at one side, so as to form a sleeve, which extends into and turns within the cap L ,that is secured to sleeve L, so as to provide an enlarged bearing for cap L The rockshaft M carries an arm, M", that is connected by a connecting-rod, M with a bellcrank, O, pivoted upon one of the sides E of the track-frame. These two arms M M upon the rock-shaft are each provided with a hub or sleeve adjustably secured upon the rockshaft by a set-screw, whereby in setting up the machine they can be accurately adjusted and secured in position. The upper arm of the bell-crank O carries a stud or roller, 0, which is normally maintained byaspring, M in the path of a pair of dogs, 0" and respectively, secured upon and near the ends of one side of the base of the table, so that during the reciprocation of the carriage said roller shall be successively acted upon by these dogs or projections in order to vibrate the bellcrank and thereby actuate the rock-shaft M.

As shown, spring N connects with the rod M and the trackframe E, although it can be otherwise arranged. The arm M on the rockshat't has a slotted connection with the connecting-rod M*, which is attained by providing said arm with a pin that is received in a slot, M", in the lower end of the rod, whereby either the bell-crank or a treadle, P, can suecessivel y act to operate the rock-shaft, as will be more particularly described farther on.

The treadle P, which is arranged at the front of the machine in convenient posit-ion to be acted upon by the operator, is connected by a rod, P, with a crank-arm, P, fixed upon one end of the rockshaft, (see Fig. 2,) whereby the rock-shaft can be actuated from said treadle, which, as will be hereinafter seen, is employed for the purpose of starting the machine, while the beltcrank O and the two dogs upon the carriage constitute the initial means for actuating the belt-shifter so as to start the carriage back after the completion of its forward movement, and also for stopping the carriage after it has returned to its first position.

The gear I, for driving the ironing and polishing roller, meshes with a pinion, H rigid upon one end of the main driving-shaft K, so that a rotation of saidshaft in either direction will cause a like revolution of the roller.

The operation is as follows: The belts being on the loose wheels and the ironing-table being at the front end of the machine in convenient position for the operator to place the shirts, cuffs, collars, or other articles upon the ironing-table, the machine is started by pressing upon the treadle so as to operate the rockshaft M, and thereby actuate the belt-shifter, through the medium of arm M on the rockshaft and rod M connecting said arm with the belt-shifter. This action will shift one of the belts on the fast wheel-as, for example, the open belt K traveling in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. l-whereby the main driving-shaft will be rotated and the carriage caused to move forward simultaneously with a rotary movement on the part of the ironing and polishing roller through the medium of the gears hereinbefore described. \Vhen the carriage arrives at the end of its forward movement, the dog 0 on one end of the carriage strikes and actuatesthe-bell-crank O, which in turn gives a downthrow to the slotted rod M, and this in turn actuates the rock-shaft through the medium of an arm, M carried by the rock-shaft, it being observed that at this junction the pin on the end of the said arm is at the top end of the slot in the rod, whereby the movement is positive and no lost motion occurs. This action on the part of the said mechanism turns the rock-shaft in a direction that will cause the belt-shifter to shift the open belt off and the crossed belt K" on the fast wheel, whereby said crossed belt, traveling in the direction indicated by an arrow, will reverse the main driving-shaft, and hence cause a return of the carriage and a reverse rotation on the part of the ironing and polishing roller. As soon as dog 0 has released the bell-crank O the spring M will lift rod M and turn the bell-crank, so as to restore it to its normal position, thereby bringing its stud in position to be acted upon by the second dog, 0 The pin on the end of the arm M will then beat thelower end of the slot M in the rod, whereby when the rod Mi is next lifted it will raise arm M for the purpose of stopping the machine, and when the rock-shaft is next turned by the treadle, so as to start the machine, there will be a lost motion on the part of arm M? by reason of its pin having a free play upwardly from end to end of the slot.

When the carriage arrives at the end of its return movement, the second dog, 0 on the carriage will strike said stud and depress the same, thereby actuating the bell-crank and causing it to lift rod M, which will in turn cause arm M on the rock-shaft to rise, and thus give to the rock-shaft a movement reverse to the one that it has previously made. This movement of the rock-shaft actuates the beltshifter so as to shift the belts, and thereby throw the crossed belt from the fast to a loose pulley, so that the machine will be stopped. It can be again set in motion by operating the treadle as before, so as to again start the carriage forward.

It will be seen that after each return movement and consequent stop ofthe machine the pin on arm M will be at the lower end of the slot in rod M", so that when the treadle is depressed and. the rock-shaft turned, so as to actuate the belt-shifter in order to start the machine, arm M will in rising have a lost motion, for the purpose of moving the beltshifter to start the machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the ironing-table, the ironing-roller, and means for respectively reciprocating the table and rotating said roller, of mechanism forming a connection between said table and roller, whereby the movement.

adjustment concentric with the shaft, substantially as'described- 3. The ironing-table and mechanism for reciprocating the same, in combination with a grooved track, and loose anti friction rollers guided in said track, which support .the table and form a shifting bearing therefor, stops on said table for engaging the rollers, and stops on said track to limit the movement of the rollers, substantially as shown. I

4; In an ironing-table, the rock-shaft M, arm M, rod M arm M rod M; provided with a slot, M, which engages a pin on the end.

of the arm M bell-crank 0, having one of its arms pivotally connected to rod M and the spring M in combinationwith the reciprocating table provided with dogs which alternately engage the other end of said bellcrank, substantially as shown, whereby the belt-shifter" is actuated bythe movement of the reciprocating table.

5. In an ironing-machine, the combination of an ironing-table and mechanism for reciprocating the same, a bell-crank lever, a beltshifter, and mechanism actuating said lever and shifter, a pair of dogs, and a spring for i normally holding said lever in the path of the dogs, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. An ironing-table, mechanism forreciprocating said table, an ironing-roller, and means for actuating the same in opposite directions, in combination with the sleeve L, the arms If, the fingers L and the fast and loose pulleys, all combined and operating substantially as and for the purposes described.

LEWIS H. WATSON.

Witnesses:

,W. W. ELLIOTT, JNo. G. ELLIOTT. 

